Augmented Reality for the Accessibility of Architectural Archive Drawings

Reflecting on specimens collected in archival funds becomes an opportunity for experimentation with different digital techniques to explore architectural features and proposed spatial configurations, creating new content that enhances accessibility and understanding for a different target. The paper presents experiments with Augmented Reality (AR) applied to the analysis and three-dimensional reconstruction of Studio ABDR’s unrealized project for the redevelopment of the Crypta Balbi area in Rome. In particular, it is presented: the methodology followed, the main characteristics of the project that emerged from the 2D and 3D analysis, and two AR experiments involving static and dynamic content. The experiments demonstrate the potential of Augmented Reality techniques applied to the archival architectural drawing to implement the accessibility of the collections, facilitate the reading and understanding of architectural drawings, intended as cultural heritage characterized by a specialized technical language, and explicate the architectural values and potential relationships with the context of unbuilt architectural projects.